Escaping from the Inevitable
by chocolatecoveredbastard
Summary: With the end of the story being just the beginning, how will Kazuma and Ayano adapt to each other given the events which unfolded throughout the previous year?
1. Escaping from the Inevitable

It was hard to believe that just over a month ago the city barely escaped being annihilated by the partial summoning of the strongest demon known to man. Four and a half meager weeks had come and gone, in what seemed to be the blink of an eye. Four and a half weeks since the greatest collaboration between the strongest young adults in the city had taken place, yet between them, unresolved issues continued bubbling to the surface. It took that entire four and a half weeks for the strong, stubborn blood which commanded the young woman and man to reach yet another boiling point.

She stood with her legs spread in a position of power and balance, as to not be thrown off by the raging wings surrounding her. The typhoon forced gale that surrounded her caused her long red hair to carelessly whip back and forth across her face; never once did it impede her vision. Her eyes, a passionate red fire, burned in a stern glare, fixed upon the eye of the storm; never shifting, never blinking, and never flickering. Within her tight grasp she held a precious, flaming sword which she had grown to master over the past year. Her fire was not merely conjured by the magic she inherited at birth, but by her soul, her determination, her stubborn attitude, her genuine heart. All of the fierce red surrounding her body was only contrasted by the light blue, fitted high school uniform and her naturally pale, creamy, soft skin.

He stood just a few yards away, hands planted within his pockets, adorned with a gaze strong enough to meet hers. His brown, messy hair blew carefully around his forehead, as he stood within the center of the raging wings. Looking at just this man, it would seem that the wings present belonged in a summer field on a sunny day, but the dark clouds begged to differ. With a fashion sense as cool as the breeze he summoned from the depth of his being, he could not help but admire the girl before him. In such a short amount of time she had gone from a temperamental brat to a young woman who could protect herself and her entire family. By no means did he plan on taking credit for the warrior, but he would admit to being the catalyst that helped overcome fundamental flaws without catastrophic events unfolding. With eyes just as passionately red, he met her gaze with no hesitation, returning it two fold, but she seemed unaffected by the experienced man.

She charged at him full force, screaming to release all the power she could in one blow which was assured contact, as the man made no effort to step aside. As she neared, the winds became more concentrated, and a small tornado appeared between the two bodies. The sword light up, surrounded by tall dancing flames, as it sliced through the tornado, making an opening for the girl to continue her charge, without losing momentum.

When she made it through the cell, she leapt into the air to bring about the final strike. The lack of movement or concern coming from the man brought her some unease, but nothing would slow her down. Just as her sword was exactly one inch from the top of his head, his eyes opened to reveal a color as blue as the azure sky. Their strong gazes met, and within a millisecond he smirked, and her eyes widened in disbelief. A strong wind picked up from behind the man and caught the girl in the hair, blowing her back to where she was when their initial starring contest began.

"Kazuma! I can't_ believe_you used your contract against me! How could you do that? It's clearly cheating!" She stood up and wiped the dirt from her clothes, returning the sword to nothingness.

"_Oh wait_! I know! You had to use it because you know _you're_ not strong enough to beat me on your own now! Wow, I can't say I'm surprised though. I _did_kick your ass a month ago, so that was probably a good idea for you!"

Kazuma straightened his jacket, his eyes back to their natural red shade, "A real fighter is prepared for anything their opponent can throw at them. It's not my fault you don't have the capacity to anticipate your opponent."

"_Capacity_? How _dare_you insult me like that, Kazuma! I'm the next head of the Kannagi family! I kicked your ass! You just don't want to admit it!" She planted her hands on her hips, her glare becoming angrier with every second he continued to wear a cocky smirk.

"If that's what you wanna keep telling yourself, go right on ahead, I won't stop you. But I won't stand here and listen to you yell at me. I'm going to grab some food. You're welcome to join me if you want to, Ayano."

Kazuma had already created a great deal of distance between the two of them by the time Ayano decided dinner would be a great source of revenge, as it usually was. Kazuma smirked and shoved his hands deep inside his pockets, now knowing with certitude that Ayano had completely forgotten the other events which were to be held on that very day.


	2. Running up the Bill

While Ayano had grown to be a strong fighter, there were still some things she needed to work on; like being observant. All the while she followed Kazuma to the nicer part of the city, she failed to realize that they were being followed by a relatively large group. "Hey."

The sudden outburst from Kazuma grabbed her attention and she quickly made eye contact with him. "I'm not dragging you along dressed like that."

Ayano looked down at her uniform. It was scuffed with dirt from when Kazuma threw her back during the fight. Not to mention a few small tears from where twigs were caught in his strong winds. "How_ I_ look? What about how _you_ look? My outfit, even in this condition, is_ much_ nicer than yours!" She grasped her skirt and sent Kazuma a challenging smirk.

"Who said I wasn't going to change? Look, I'll be right down the street. Pick yourself out something nice. I'll come back and pay for it." Kazuma looked Ayano from head to toe thoroughly before turning his back on her.

"Something nice, huh? Oh, I'll pick the nicest dress you've ever seen, Kazuma!" Ayano spun on her heels and confidentially walked into the store.

Upon entering she was awestruck. This was no department store. It was full of top name designer dresses, shoes, and accessories. "He wants me to get something from_ here_? Where are we going to eat?"

"Hello ma'am. May I be of any service to you this fine evening?" A middle-aged woman approached Ayano, dressed in an elegant black cocktail dress.

"I'm looking for a dress, I suppose." Ayano's eyes wandered the store as she saw glorified summer dresses to potential wedding dresses.

Wedding dresses. Her face flushed a shade to blend her eyes and hair on her face. She quickly regained her composure and turned away from the woman. "I'm looking for a dress that I can wear out to dinner. As you see, my school uniform clearly won't do. And don't worry; price isn't of concern to me. I have someone coming who will pay my tab!"

The sales woman nodded graciously and led Ayano further in the store. "Do you have a color that you prefer? Or shall I bring out a few suggestions?"

On their last real dinner, Ayano had worn a long pink dress. Kazuma seemed to approve of it, but then again, Kazuma would approve of anything that shows off a woman's figure. "Well, I guess I'm not really sure. I had a lovely pink dress, but it was ruined. But I'm starting to think that maybe pink is a little too young for me. I_ am_ a woman now after all." Ayano looked down at her chest and patted her hips; her curves were more defined than they had been before.

"I think I have the perfect dress for you then. Please, it's right over here."

The store was surprisingly large for a top designer line. It probably had several different big names working together to increase revenue, especially because there was everything from slacks to accessories. Kazuma must have known this, and lead Ayano there in order from her to get an entire outfit, from head to toe. After just a few moments Ayano found herself standing in front of possibly the most stunning dress she had ever seen. "If you don't mind me saying, no one is_ ever_ too old for pink. It just depends on how you wear it, don't you agree?"

The sales lady took the dress from the rack and gently handed it to Ayano. Ayano's crimson eyes shimmered and she walked in to the dressing room to make sure the dress fit properly. She slid the dirty uniform off her body, protected by the locked door in front of her. Down to just her undergarments, she looked herself over, silently judging the imperfections she saw in herself. She did not look into the mirror again until she carefully zipped up the dress.

Her reflection bounced off the mirror and back in Ayano's eyes. The design of the dress was relatively simple. Her shoulders were left exposed as the white strap which held the dress up wrapped around the back of her neck. The top of the dress came down to a low pale cream V-neck, leaving her developed cleavage visible in an adult, yet innocent, way. Just below her chest a black ribbon wrapped around and was tied in a gracious, thick bow accenting her already small waist. Below the ribbon, the dress faded to a darker cream, making her already pale skin look much lighter. Starting at the top of her left hip, small light pink flowers decorated the front of the dress which faded down and the whole dress became the light pink shade, while the flowers became a darker pink. The entire length of the dress flowed just above the top of her bare feet.

Ayano twirled in the mirror and the dress spun around her body, hugging it gently. She adored the way the dress not only looked, but looked on her. Kazuma was definitely going to pay for it. Now the only issue that remained was finding a good pair of shoes and maybe even a hair piece. As she exited the fitting room, the sales lady clapped her hands together, "Oh, it looks absolutely looks stunning on you ma'am! I'm sure your boyfriend will be_ completely_ speechless when he sees you tonight!"

Boyfriend. Ayano's face flushed with a color as pink as her dress, but she did not protest since the lady was being so helpful. "Uh, y-yeah. Speechless boyfriend. T-totally." She fiddled with the dress and avoided eye contact.


	3. Sitting down to Dinner

_**(Thanks for all the reviews! To be perfectly honest, I wasn't expecting any until I finished the story, haha!**_  
><em><strong>Sorry for the weekend long delay though. I was at an anime convention for the weekend, and oh man, it was awesome. I can't even put it in to words! But now that I'm home, I'll start more writings.<strong>_

_**There will be another delay because I move into a new place on Thursday, and won't have internet until Monday! I guess that just means that maybe I'll have two chapters to upload when we get the router up and going. :D)**_

Kazuma stood outside the store he led Ayano to several minutes before. His usual casual wear had been replaced with a tailored black suit, shined shoes, and brushed hair. A man wearing jeans and a simple t-shirt approached Kazuma and gave him a solemn nod, "The building has been secured. This time things will go smoothly."

Another nod was exchanged between the two men, and from the corner of his eye, Kazuma saw figures moving to new positions just down the road. As time continued to pass, he tapped his foot impatiently, not knowing why Ayano was taking so much time to walk to the front of the store. After about 30 seconds of the incecent tapping he walked through the door to be greeted by Ayano slipping a small, elegant black barrette with shimmering pink gems into her bright red bangs. His eyes slowly scanned her body from top to bottom, taking note of every detail about her and the way her dress looked. "Looks like you got pretty gussied up."

"Are you saying it doesn't look good, Kazuma? Because I don't care, even if you don't like it, you're still buying it for me!_ And_ these adorable black heels, and my new hair piece! Got it?" Ayano stood up in a huff and pulled Kazuma to the register so he could purchase her new items. "_Besides_, you look _much_ more dressed up than I am."

Kazuma shook his head and paid for the outfit. He offered his arm to Ayano to lead her out of the store. She hesitantly took it, and a light blush colored her cheeks. As the exited the store Kazuma shifted his weight uneasily. "What's wrong?"

He did not know what to tell the girl on his arm. Usually, when he tried to be serious with her, he ruined every moment by taking advantage of her anger, completely killing anything that could have been. This time he refused to do that, so he tried to pick his words as carefully as he could. "I love it."

"_What_?" Ayano stopped dread in her tracks. "What did you just say to me?" As she spoke, her voice got softer and her blush grew as her eyes darted about nervously. Had he really just said he loved her?

"I said I love it... Your dress. It looks really good on you." The serious tone Kazuma intended to keep tapered off as he saw her reaction, knowing she must have misheard him. "What do you think I said?" He looked down at her with a slight smirk planted on his lips.

"N-nothing! I just... I didn't hear what you said at all! _That's it_! Okay?" Her heart sunk; of course Kazuma would never say something like that to her. She knew he still loved Tsui-Ling, and she was no comparison.

Ayano dropped her arm to her side and began to walk forward without Kazuma directly beside her. When he remained stationary, after Ayano had taken a few steps, she turned around and glared at him. "How can you buy me dinner from all the way over there? I don't even know where we're going anyways! So, you better start walking now!"

Kazuma hung his head, sighing in defeat, he tried to do something properly, but it backfired as always without his help. Hands replanted in his pockets, he lead Ayano to the front of a red carpet which led up a small flight of stairs and into a very expensive looking hotel. Upon their arrival a host quickly greeted the pair and lead them to a small table in the corner of a large, relatively empty, seating room.

The lighting was much dimmer than she had expected and soothing European classical music was played by the small orchestra in the back of the room. On their table sat two sets of filled wine glasses, one with a red wine, the other with water. The two took their seats and starred at each other over the glasses.

"You already had this planned, didn't you, Kazuma? Why else would we have gotten into a place like this so quickly? So tell me, what exactly as you scheming, and how long have you been scheming it for?" On any other day Ayano would have overlooked how planned each of Kazuma's moves seemed to be, but her heart still stung from the comment earlier. "Or was it all my dad?"

Without even looking up from the menu, Kazuma twisted his lips as he put thought into the answer he would give the girl. "Look, it's not my fault you may have the memory of a goldfish, so just stop questioning things and enjoy the night, okay? Does it even matter if your father has anything to do with this?" The slightly harsh tone he used caused Ayano to slouch back in her chair.

"I can't believe you drag me out here, to just make fun of me, calling me a _goldfish_, just to satisfy some weird ideas my dad has. I know you're just here because you're getting paid. I don't even see why you stick around, I know you get paid up front." Her eyes teared up slightly, but her tone remained steady, and she covered her face with the menu. Any sense of confidence she had upon arrival had been brutally murdered.

The waiter, dressed in a crisp black tuxedo, brought out a small bowl of bread for the two to enjoy as they came to a final decision on their order. "Are the drinks to your liking?"

Ayano sat up and pointed to her glass of wine, "I'm sorry, but I don't drink, so could you bring me some green tea instead?"

As the waiter nodded and reached out to the glass, Kazuma stopped him. "It's fine, just leave it. Usually she doesn't, but I think the birthday girl should have her first taste of a good wine with a nice dinner tonight, _don't you agree_?" He shot the waiter a confident stare, and used his peripheral vision to enjoy the look of surprise on Ayano's face.


	4. What a lovely Meal

Exactly 18 years ago Ayano Kannagi had been born into this world. Over the past 17 years there had always been much anticipation surrounding her birthday, so there was never a chance of her forgetting it. In those days, her life was filled with straightforward missions and attending classes, so something as exciting as a birthday was a rather large to-do. However, given the events which unfolded throughout the past few months, it was no wonder the girl had forgotten something as trivial as a birthday. That did leave one question; why had no one in her family reminded her that she was to be celebrating her 18th anniversary on this world that day?

Lost in a whirl of thoughts, Kazuma placed an order for an appetizer to buy the girl time, since it was obvious she was not reading her menu. The look of embarrassment on Ayano's face was priceless to him. He could only begin to muse what sort of thoughts were flooding her mind and how she must have felt in that exact moment. "It's pretty silly to forget something as important as your birthday, Princess. Has all that sense of power gone to your head?" He swirled the red wine around in his glass before taking a small sip.

"Look! Maybe something like my birthday isn't even important to me, _okay_?"

"Oh? So that's why your father refrained Ren throw you a huge surprise party, it's because it's _not_ important to you. _I_ remember how little _I_ cared about turning 18." Kazuma took another sip of his wine. "Great year. You should try some."

"He was going to-" Ayano cut herself off, not wanting to fall for Kazuma's trap. "You know I _don't_ drink because I always want to be in control!" She pushed the glass away from her and drank some water instead.

"I thought turning 18 was suppose to be the epitome of being in control because you can take charge of your family now." Kazuma pushed his menu to the side of the table, signaling that he had decided on his meal for the evening.

Just as the menu went down, the waiter returned with a light dish of bruschetta.

"I could have taken charge of my family before! If a girl can... _you know_... at the age of 13, then I could have been the head of my house _five_ years ago!" Ayano reached forward and put a relatively large bite of the food in her mouth.

"Are you saying you, "_you know_"d, five years ago?" Kazuma raised his eyebrow, hoping to get a rise out of the girl, rather than a confession.

"You _pervert_! Of course not! I could- I would- never! _Never_!"

"Okay, okay, I get it. You'd never. Way to go make your point." He pretended to pout at take it personally that Ayano would yell such embarrassing things in such a nice place.

The waiter quickly rushed over to the table, "Is everything alright?"

"Yes! Everything's just _fine_!" Ayano sat back in her chair in a huff and gulped down the whole glass of wine.

Both Kazuma and the waiter starred at Ayano as she placed the glass to its place on the table. "Would you like another, ma'am?"

"Yes, that would be _very_ lovely. But bring me the most expensive kind you have, okay?" As she spoke the waiter nodded and darted off to the kitchen.

"What happened to being in control?" Kazuma finished off his glass as well.

"I'm going to prove to you, right here, that I'm _always_ in control. Plus, I know wine is very expensive, so you'll have such a big bill to pay it will be worth it!"

"Gee, I'm flattered. Now, why don't you decide what you want to eat before that poor man gets back here?"

Ayano sent a glare at Kazuma before looking back at her menu. "I want an eight ounce steak, well done, with lobster as my side dish. Oh, and some chocolate covered strawberries to go with my _expensive_ drink."

If there was one thing Ayano knew how to do, it was how to burn a hole in a man's pocket, of that Kazuma had no doubt. "You'll make a fine bride for some poor sucker."

The waiter returned with the wine and took the orders, leaving a small sample tray of cheeses to be enjoyed with the bottle. After the food arrived, the rest of the dinner was relatively quiet. Ayano only spoke to order her dessert, and Kazuma only spoke to make a witty remark about how much she was eating. All the while the both of them ate, Ayano was determined to drink at least half a glass of wine more than Kazuma, and during the meal he picked up on her nonverbal challenge. Unfortunately for Ayano, she underestimated the strength of wine.

"Look, Princess, if you go drinking that much you'll feel god-awful in the morning. Wine is not the sort of drink you _should_ get drunk off, don't you know? Maybe I should get you a rum and coke instead?" Kazuma poured the last of the bottle in his glass, then took the last bite of the rich chocolate cheesecake on his dessert plate.

"_Drunk_? Oh _please_, I don't feel any differently! I may have never had any before, but I know Kannagi blood is _much_ hotter than any alcohol, and that our family is known for being heavy drunks!"

"Don't you mean heavy _drinkers_?" Kazuma smirked and tried to get a chocolate covered strawberry away from Ayano.

"Hands off, perv! I can handle my own just fine!" Ayano took the last bite of her own chocolate stout cake. "Pay up so you can take me home!"

Ayano seemed slightly angrier than usual, though it would come as no surprise that she would be an angry drunk. Kazuma did not object though; with her revealing dress, every time he got a rise out of her temper, he also got a faint rise of a special area on her chest.


	5. Too Drunk to Walk

_I am so sorry that I haven't been able to post anything thing in almost a month! I'm such a terrible person, I know ; A ; If it means anything, I have a pretty good excuse: Fall semester started up and in my Comp class I have to turn in two papers a week, on top of a quiz every Friday in Economics, spending three hours a week in the math lab, and being the only roommate who cleans the apartment. Things have been crazy busy, but I've got a schedule down, so I'll be able to write more on this story now! :D! I really apologize if it doesn't read smoothly, but I was more concerned with getting this chapter posted since I've been slacking on you guys :_

Ayano carefully tried to maintain balance in her heels; she had underestimated the strength of the wine, but she would die before letting Kazuma notice. Completely and wholly focused on keeping one foot in front of the other, as if simply walking in heels was not difficult enough without the balance impediment, the slight double vision was no help on the poorly paved sidewalk. "Look Princess, you are still underage, so I think this whole 'walking on your own' thing may get you an overnight stay with the local cops."

"Ph-please! Like any cop would actually arrest_ me_. The next head of the Kannagi family. You… You're just looking for an excuse to touch me, aren't you, Prevy Boy!" Ayano whirled about to face Kazuma, who was standing behind her, and attempted to slap him.

Kazuma easily evaded the drunken swing. "Hey, what the hell was that for? I didn't even do anything." He smirked as Ayano's already face somehow grew a deeper shade, "At least not _yet_."

"What do you mean you want me to get you a pet? You're irresponsible enough with me as it is! Though it's not like any of that matters, because I can take care of myself. Look how good I walk, Kazuma!" Ayano completed two steps, following a crack in the cement sidewalk, then proceeded to sturdy herself on the railing.

"Yeah, you walk like someone right in to physical therapy, all right."

Ayano had not heard Kazuma's comment as she clung to the side rail, attempting to steady her spinning world. "Ayano, are you feelin' okay?"

Ayano bent over and tried her best to keep her long red hair away from her face as her stomach became more and more upset. "I…I-" She quickly moved her hand to cover her mouth as a burning sensation traveled up her throat.

Being the experienced man he was, Kazuma grabbed a rubberband from his wallet and tied Ayano's hair back just before the wine made its way back up. Several minutes passed, and Ayano writhed in discomfort, not knowing if the unpleasant heaving would ever stop.

"What a waste of money. All that food, gone to waste. Ah well… Happy birthday, Princess." Kazuma waited until the storm was over before carefully picking up his baggage.

Ayano held one hand firmly against her stomach and the other atop her forehead. "This is just terrible. You ruin _everything_."

"Gee, thanks. I'll keep that in mind next time,."

There were a million nouns Kazuma could use to end his sentence with, but he chose not to use a single one to refer to Ayano by, afterall, it was probably just the wine talking.

Just before arriving at the Kannagi Clan's residence, Ayano passed out in Kazuma's arms. He used his powers over the wind to quietly open the gate, which protected the mansion, not bothering to close it as he continued toward Ayano's room. He knew that if any of the servants around the premises saw him carrying Ayano, they would assume the worst, and ugly rumors would begin to spread. Any such rumors would allow other members of the family to think they could question her power, leading them to try and steal Enraiha from her. Clearly flying just above typical eye level was the best option, especially under the dark cover of the night.

As Kazuma neared Ayano's room, Ayano began to regain consciousness, not believing any of the signals being sent to her from her inner ears. "K-Kazuma… I-I d-don't feel too great. Can't you make the feelings stop?" Her large crimson eyes, glazed with alcohol, still managed to plead with him.

Looking into her large eyes, he was caught off guard by the warm sensation that emerged throughout his torso. It was not an unfamiliar feeling, he knew it all too well, he had it everytme he looked as Tsui Ling. A pinge of guilt emerged from drawing a comparison to his deceased girlfriend, even though the two girls were both beautiful, they were completely different. He shook off the thoughts and returned his focus to getting the drunk girl in her room.

"I want to take a shower- I ruined my dress… Kazuma, _I'm so sad_!" Ayano's usually fearless eyes began to fill with tears, as her lips pouted, signaling an uncontrollable drunk sadness.

"Oh no, no, no." Kazuma's eyes widened and he picked up the pace to getting Ayano in to her room.

Just as Kazuma closed Ayano's door behind him, she began crying. The tears flowed freely from her eyes, and her nose began to run. "Aw, c'mon Ayano, why are you crying? Isn't the next head of the Kannagi family supposed to be strong?"

"I-I'm just so.."

"_Look_, you don't have to explain anything to me, okay? Don't you just want to get cleaned up instead?"

"But Kazuma! I'm always_ so_ mean to you! Why am I so mean to you? You're_ such_ a nice guy. You're _always_ helping me, and making me better, and saving me, and pretending like you don't care- but I know you do. You say you do it for the money, but I know you're not a manwhore like that. So wh am I always so mean to you? I don't want to be, because—"

Kazuma cut Ayano off, scared of what she might blurt out next, "You don't have to apologize to me. I… I_ like_ that you're mean to me. Yeah, that's it. It's fun. So, why don't you go ahead and clean up in your bathroom, and I'll get you some bread and water."

Ayano let out a loud sob, "But Kazuma!_ My legs don't work_!"

Kazuma slapped his palm to his forehead, "You're going to make this difficult for me, aren't you?" He murmured under his breath. "I'll help you there.."

Ayano abruptly stopped crying and smiled as Kazuma picked her up and made his way in to the bathroom. "Alright, you're here. I trust you can take care of the rest, Drunk."

Ayano nodded and slipped out of his arms, balancing on her feet carefully. She went for the zipper in the back of her dress, but could not grasp it. Kazuma let out a heavy sigh and roughly pulled the zipper down for her, revealing her pale back, and a the back strap of a fancy black laced bra. Ayano grabbed the dress and bunched it up to tke it off over her head, rather than step out of it. Kzume went to turn around, but given he had just spent so much money on her, carried her home, and was playing babysitter, he figured he derserved a little peak.

Under the dress Ayano wore matching black lace panties and strapless bra with little red bows on them. Her hair partially covered her chest, but not enough to hide any details from Kazuma's wandering eyes. The expensive dress lay on the tile floor in front of Ayano as she tried to undo the strap keeping her bra in place. As she unsuccessfully fumbled with the latch, she let out tiny whimpers. Kazuma stepped up to the plate with no objections, and undid the latches with one quick movement of his wrist.

Ayano caught her bra as it started to fall, holding it on place with her arm. She turned to face Kazuma, and he examined every inch of her perfectly toned body, and how well she wore the lingerie. "You're good at that. I bet you have a lot of practice, you pig!"

Before Kazuma had time to say anything, Ayano was standing in the shower, underwear still on, fumbling with the shower handle. When Kazuma made a step toward the shower, Ayano slammed the black tinted door dramatically. "_Fine_." Kazuma grumbled and flopped himself down onto Ayano's bed while she showered.


	6. Whimpers, Wines, and Cold Showers

_**(I am SO, SO SORRY that I haven't been writing! I've been a terrible author, I know, but I PROMISE I'll work super hard on remembering to write more and add chapters more frequently! orz Anyways, I need a little feed back from you wonderful readers! When I wrote this, I decided to make the scene a little hotter, as a sort of extra apology for taking so long to update. Doing so got me thinking about keeping this story T rated, but I have no qualms writing something a little... spicier, if you get my drift. I was thinking about maybe omitting certain part from this story that would be M rated, and make those their own short storied, and for this I'll leave some detail, but mostly just implication? Is that something that you guys would be interested in, or would it be a waste of time? :D!)**_

Ayano eased herself into the shower and turned the hot water on full blast. Steam quickly filled the room, and for the first time in her life Ayano began to feel dizzy from the temperature. She used the door of the shower to steady herself as she reached for the cold water knob, but the pressure she applied caused the door to open, which made Ayano lose her balance and fall onto a heap on the floor.

Kazuma heard the loud thud from the shower and ran in without a second thought. When he opened the door he saw Ayano curled up in a fetal position, lying in a puddle of water, her hair set in just the right places to cover her chest. "_Ayano_! Ayano, are you okay? I need you to look at me." Kazuma bent down and grabbed Ayano's head to look at her eyes.

Ayano forced her eyes open, and more tears began to form. "I-I'm okay... I just fell is all? I can't even take a shower. I'm so useless." She used her hands to cover her face as she sobbed quietly.

"Stop it!" Kazuma grabbed both of Ayano's arms with one hand, and used his free hand to put a towel on her. "You're not useless. You're just drunk. And now you're going to bed."

Ayano was in complete shock, she had never heard Kazuma get a tone like that with her before. She held up the towel to cover herself and wiped away her tears, nodding as she followed Kazuma to her bed. "Hey Kazuma…"

"Yes, Princess?"

"T-Thank you for remembering my birthday." Ayano once again blushed a light shade of red, and she nervously rubbed her index finger over her lips.

As Ayano rubbed her lips she began to blush a little more, and turned her head to the side-these were all signs Kazuma knew well. The only question for him was whether or not to make a move, as he could either wait for her or save himself about half an hour and just go for it.

"I, well, I know I'm not Tsui Ling, but—"

The moment Ayano mentioned Kazuma's deceased girlfriend his jaw and fists tightened simultaneously. He decided he did not want to hear the rest of her statement and covered her mouth with his hand, making stern eye contact. "Don't you_ ever_ compare yourself to her."

Ayano's eyes began to water again, her stomach knotted up in the most unpleasant of ways, and her body felt limp. She could feel the alcohol raging through her blood stream, but Kazuma's words were much stronger than any amount of wine she had consumed. Ayano ripped Kazuma's hand off her mouth and flung herself face down onto her bed to muffle the already silent sobs.

Seeing Ayano react in the way she did made Kazuma feel sick to his stomach. Yet again he managed to upset this girl he cares about without meaning to, and found himself unable to find any words that may have brought her any comfort. Both Tsui Ling and Ayano were very important to him, but they were too different to be compared. Tsui Ling was quiet yet authoritative, she had a gentle and motherly soul, she was exactly the kind of person Kazuma needed when he first left the Kannagi family. Ayano, on the other hand, was fierce, feisty, and full of spunk. She was determined and strong, but so innocent and naïve. She brought Kazuma endless amusement, and being around her made him happy. Ayano was the kind of person he needed right now.

Kazuma let out a deep sigh and sat beside Ayano on her bed, laying his hand on her back as she cried. "You know, I didn't mean to upset you, Ayano."

Ayano peaked up from her covers and sent Kazuma a deep and piercing glare, lip pout and all. "Why can't you ever say nice things about _me_ like you do about _her_? Why won't you ever acknowledge_ me_?"

Words escaped Kazuma despite his perfectly articulated thoughts. There was only one thing he knew he could do that would keep her from talking, and show her he cared at the same time. Kazuma grabbed Ayano by her shoulders and forced her to her side, facing him. Keeping a tight grip, Kazuma laid beside her, looking deep into her soft and fragile gaze. Ayano's breath quickened as Kazuma's face grew closer to her own, and she could feel her heart beating strongly inside her chest as she began to feel his breath on her face. Kazuma pulled Ayano closer to his own body, closed his eyes, and let his lips touch hers once more.

The second their lips met Ayano's heart skipped a beat and her stomach began to unknot itself. Her world began spinning and her whole body had a warm tingling sensation, amplified by her inebriation. She slowly began returning the kiss, unsure of what exactly to do, as she had never properly kissed anyone before. Kazuma slid one of his hands behind Ayano's head, gently playing with the baby hairs on the top of her neck and he began to deepen the kiss. Hesitantly, Ayano began to open her mouth a little wider, allowing herself to be caught up in the moment and follow the lead of the much more experienced man.

Kazuma removed his hand from Ayano's head and moved to her back, using his free arm to slide underneath her to regain control of the deepness of the kiss. As he waited for her to adjust to the situation, he rubbed her back and waist, holding back all of his urges to rip away the small towel that covered Ayano and her alcohol infused breath.

Once their tongues touched, Ayano took some initiative in the situation and wrapped her arms around Kazuma, hugging him tightly. She began to touch Kazuma's legs with her own, slowly sliding her leg between his, but only barely. Ayano could not recall the last time she had been this close to Kazuma, she could only remember holding him when he was flying her places, but that did not count as anything.

As time passed, between the wine, the shower, and the kiss, Ayano's head and body were both spinning out of control. At first the whole event had been exciting and pleasant, but the strain it placed upon her stomach was too much. Ayano quickly broke away from the kiss and scrambled into the bathroom as quickly as she could, having only a second to spare from the time she reached the toilet to the time her stomach demanded seconds.

Kazuma, who was left in a daze, rolled onto his stomach when he heard the girl in the bathroom beginning to heave once more. He put a pillow over his head and cursed himself for thinking he could ever get anything more than almost perfect.


End file.
